Together Housing Group’s Salford PFI Project, Pendleton Together is celebrating today, after being nominated for a significant national award.
The FREDIE Awards, which are organized by the National Centre for Diversity and recognise organizations that have made significant steps around inclusion, saw Pendleton Together nominated for “Diversity Steering Group of the Year” in the awards, held online last night. While they were pipped to the post by Leeds Building Society, staff at Pendleton Together were delighted with the result.
Michelle Park, Board Member for Equality and Diversity at Together Housing Group, said the nomination was significant:
“Social housing has always been an inclusive sector and it’s important that staff, residents and partners all understand the importance of keeping diversity at the heart of what we do. That’s why we put together a steering group including a wide range of senior and operational staff, tenants and partner organisations.
“The steering group first came together late last year so to be nominated at this early stage was a real boost and showed they are making great progress.”
The steering group are implementing a cultural shift that incorporate the FREDIE Principles of Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity and Engagement in the culture and practice of the organization.
Pendleton Together tenant Owen Power, who has been a campaigner around diversity issues for several decades and sits on the steering group, also welcomed the nomination: “Since Pendleton Together began formally recognising their diversity responsibilities, we’ve been working hard to make sure everyone thinks and acts in a way that includes everyone or, at least, gives everyone the option to be included.
“The fact that Pendleton Together missed out to an even more diverse organisation just shows how much progress has been made across the board in the past few years and I congratulate every organization that was nominated or won at the FREDIE awards.”